Lake Erie rookie looking for help!!

I have my 8year old and a 6year old going up to Catawba island with me over Labor Day weekend. Daddy wants to look like he knows what he is doing but haven't fished Lake Erie in over 10years. One day we are planning to go perch fishing in the morning (so looking to know where are the best places do go, what should I use, how is the best way to fish for them.) If we get our limit and my kids are still having fun I would like to show them some walleye fishing as well in the evening (same thing where to go, what to fish with and what depth might I find them). The next day we would like to go for smallmouth bass. I use to fish for bass years ago and can only assume they can still be caught on tubes but forget some of the areas the big smallmouth are being caught and at what depth. Any help that would make my time w my boys more enjoyable would be great. Thanks in advance!

What size and make of boat do you have? That will make a difference in a few of those answers.
Assuming that you have a Lake worthy boat that will handle 4-6' waves on Lake Erie if it had to, then you should be able to get on fish. The best thing to do is post this question again about a week before you are going to be there.
However, right now fish are still being caught between the Islands and West of South Bass (both walleye and perch). That could change tomorrow.
Typical setups for what you are asking:
Perch: Stop by Hi-Way Bait in Marblehead and get some Perch Rigs, just ask the guys in there what they recommend. I use rigs made of mono with 3 hooks and some beads when they are really close to the bottom... I use wire crappie rigs that are roughly 24" long with three hooks a lot too and they work great, especially for the kids. Tip them with shiners and drop them over the side of the boat... Again, ask this question and watch this site for fish locations closer to your date.

Walleye: I will assume that you are casting and drifting for walleye and not set up to troll. Right now they are being caught a lot in shallow areas around the islands in 10-16 FOW. They are also being caught around shallow reefs. A lot of people are using worm harnesses and casting them and drifting through those areas. You can catch them anywhere around the East side of South Bass Island. I would start close to the Monument and watch your sonar for fish... Then work your way up through and around Sugar and Ballast areas... BE CARFULL!! Have a depth chart handy and hopefully a chart plotter with good GPS and Lake Erie Contours. THere are 1-3' spots out there that will take your outdrive off if it doesn't sink your boat! Know your depth and your location. I have fished Lake Erie for over 30 years and I wouldn't go into some of those areas right now without a good chart plotter.

Small Mouth Bass: Same areas as the Walleye that I just mentioned. However, if you have 8-9 year old boys I would use live bait. Tubes are not getting much action right now even in the tournaments. Go to Rikards bait (right before Catawba across from McDonalds) and get about 3 dozen Soft Craws (Cray fish) per person. They will be about $5-6 / dz. but you will catch fish! put them on a leader with a weight about 12-18" below the hook and cast them out and let them drag slowly. You will catch sheephead too, but you will catch smallmouth bass right next to tournament boats throwing tubes that won't reel in a fish. If you want to teach your boys patience and casting skills, then go throw tubes. If you want you boys to catch Smallmouth Bass, use Soft Craws.

If you have a small enough boat, the best Largemouth bass areas are close to shore. East Harbor is almost a sure thing to go catch a ton of largemouth.

Post again and check this board in the few days leading up to your trip.

wow matt, that was a fantastic reply to lake erie rookie (that could be me also). some excellent info, in detail. now if I could get out on the water more often.... anyway, great post!

Just my opinion as I don't know your kids but that's a lot of fishing for kids that age. The perch trip will keep them entertained but keeping them interested in casting for walleye and bass will be difficult. I have fished Erie with kids a few times 11,10, and 9. Eries waves are unforgiving to many kids. Many a nights after fishing all day that I almost fell down in the shower once I got off the water. Just temper your expectations because they may be done in a couple hours. I also wouldn't be afraid to throw out a nightcrawler u might not get your target fish but pick up a cat or sheepshead and the kids will love reeling them in.

Thanks for the info madd Matt. Yes there is high expectations for the trip and it might get shortened depending on their behavior and excitement level. The boat I have is a 21' stratos 290sf so waves may play a large factor to how the trip will play out. That being said the info on the largemouth in east harbor is a great back up plan. My family has a cabin in on a lake in Canada and we go up there once a year. My kids go fishing on the boat there for 4 hours at a time and want to keep fishing. So the hope is if I keep fish on the end of their poles we can have an amazing experience over the holiday. Thanks again and if anyone else has additional info I would love to hear it. All three of us are excited and looking forward to our trip.

Dramamine for the kids

Ok friends now that it's less then a week away, we can you give me an idea of what to expect. Sounds like beautiful weather so my boat should be able to get me where the fish are biting. Any new advise would be appreciated. What hotel to stay at reasonably priced maybe even a place for boys to swim, boat ramp to use, place for bait, where to get perch cleaned at. Again I just want to have a good experience with my boys who love fishing

Hope this wind quits for you today and tomorrow it's blowing hard out of the north but Sunday and Monday it's supposed to lay down. I'm not familiar with the hotel's in the area. Stay safe out there.

If the water is a bit too rough on the lake, you can always switch to fishing the bay for channel cats.

Hey madd Matt I am curious if you have any new insight for me. I plan on leaving central Ohio area around 5a and be there around 7ish. Will rikards be open then and will they also carry the perch rigs. From what I am reading looks like awesome temps and from what I read the waves sounds like 1" or less. Your previous post for me was very informative do have anything new

Hey madd Matt I am curious if you have any new insight for me. I plan on leaving central Ohio area around 5a and be there around 7ish. Will rikards be open then and will they also carry the perch rigs. From what I am reading looks like awesome temps and from what I read the waves sounds like 1" or less. Your previous post for me was very informative do have anything new

I apologize for not seeing this. I wasn't online last night. If you haven't figured it out yet, there are perch between the islands. The last couple days have been really rough and no one that I know of has fished until today. If I was going out I'd be going between the Islands, probably closer to South Bass and watch for the packs of boats... I don't typically fish a pack, but get close and see what kind of marks you have. When no one has fished and there aren't any reports for a couple days it is tough to find them.

East Harbor is still doing well with large mouth bass! get inside the channel and fish as close to the rocks as you can.

-Matt

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Originally Posted by Centralohio112

Ok friends now that it's less then a week away, we can you give me an idea of what to expect. Sounds like beautiful weather so my boat should be able to get me where the fish are biting. Any new advise would be appreciated. What hotel to stay at reasonably priced maybe even a place for boys to swim, boat ramp to use, place for bait, where to get perch cleaned at. Again I just want to have a good experience with my boys who love fishing

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I assume that by now you found a hotel. Mazuricks is a good ramp and you can access pretty much all of the activity from there. We clean our own fish, but if you post a new topic in here with that question then you will get a lot of info. Hi-Way bait is my "go to" for most bait. They don't have soft craws though, so for that I go to Rickards.

Post in here tonight if you get this and let us know how you did today.

-Matt

Well I got out around 730a and the slowwwww bite was not able to keep the boys attention for longer the a couple hours. Found myself fishing solo and the boys sleeping from getting up to early(4a). So once the youngest woke up and got sick over the side of the boat I gathered my pride and took my 12 perch with me at 1030. We tried fishing east harbor for a couple hours but were to crowded w tournament boats. Anyone have any luck I was in the huge crowd next to monument and then went to south side of south bass. Any better luck on green island or ideas for tomorrow

Well I got out around 730a and the slowwwww bite was not able to keep the boys attention for longer the a couple hours. Found myself fishing solo and the boys sleeping from getting up to early(4a). So once the youngest woke up and got sick over the side of the boat I gathered my pride and took my 12 perch with me at 1030. We tried fishing east harbor for a couple hours but were to crowded w tournament boats. Anyone have any luck I was in the huge crowd next to monument and then went to south side of south bass. Any better luck on green island or ideas for tomorrow

Talked to 2 differant groups today, both got 3 man limits straight out the portage on the gravel beds, I hit my stop from last week south of g, slow pick of 20. Lots of trash including a 25 inch sheephead. Moved to d, lots of boats. Good marks, no takers

I heard that most charters struggled by the islands yesterday. Some did find some perch, but a lot of them moved several times and came in without limits. It is always a tough bite after a couple days of NE Winds. Sorry to hear about East Harbor. Hopefully today will be a good day for perch!

-Matt

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Originally Posted by Madd Matt

What size and make of boat do you have? That will make a difference in a few of those answers.
Assuming that you have a Lake worthy boat that will handle 4-6' waves on Lake Erie if it had to, then you should be able to get on fish. The best thing to do is post this question again about a week before you are going to be there.
However, right now fish are still being caught between the Islands and West of South Bass (both walleye and perch). That could change tomorrow.
Typical setups for what you are asking:
Perch: Stop by Hi-Way Bait in Marblehead and get some Perch Rigs, just ask the guys in there what they recommend. I use rigs made of mono with 3 hooks and some beads when they are really close to the bottom... I use wire crappie rigs that are roughly 24" long with three hooks a lot too and they work great, especially for the kids. Tip them with shiners and drop them over the side of the boat... Again, ask this question and watch this site for fish locations closer to your date.

Walleye: I will assume that you are casting and drifting for walleye and not set up to troll. Right now they are being caught a lot in shallow areas around the islands in 10-16 FOW. They are also being caught around shallow reefs. A lot of people are using worm harnesses and casting them and drifting through those areas. You can catch them anywhere around the East side of South Bass Island. I would start close to the Monument and watch your sonar for fish... Then work your way up through and around Sugar and Ballast areas... BE CARFULL!! Have a depth chart handy and hopefully a chart plotter with good GPS and Lake Erie Contours. THere are 1-3' spots out there that will take your outdrive off if it doesn't sink your boat! Know your depth and your location. I have fished Lake Erie for over 30 years and I wouldn't go into some of those areas right now without a good chart plotter.

Small Mouth Bass: Same areas as the Walleye that I just mentioned. However, if you have 8-9 year old boys I would use live bait. Tubes are not getting much action right now even in the tournaments. Go to Rikards bait (right before Catawba across from McDonalds) and get about 3 dozen Soft Craws (Cray fish) per person. They will be about $5-6 / dz. but you will catch fish! put them on a leader with a weight about 12-18" below the hook and cast them out and let them drag slowly. You will catch sheephead too, but you will catch smallmouth bass right next to tournament boats throwing tubes that won't reel in a fish. If you want to teach your boys patience and casting skills, then go throw tubes. If you want you boys to catch Smallmouth Bass, use Soft Craws.

If you have a small enough boat, the best Largemouth bass areas are close to shore. East Harbor is almost a sure thing to go catch a ton of largemouth.

Post again and check this board in the few days leading up to your trip.

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Good advice there... You say you fished the lake in the past, the perch are still where they were then and they still catch them the same way. The smallmouth game has changed a bit due to water clarity, zebra muscles and gobies.. Lots of dink walleye to be had, and they must be 15 inch. That is a change since then. good walleye fishing is a month and a half way.

A 25 inch sheep head. Thats a dandy...

The good old lake is full of cats for sure.... I catch them all over, but around mid June I was North of Kellys close to the border casting a dropshot with rubber. I found a school of channel cats and every cast for over 20 minutes I caught one that was close to 4-6 pounds id say. I was looking for smallies, but found them, they were beautiful healthy fish.

I catch them everywhere with everything. If they taste good ??? ( slimey) I refuse to net them cause they cover your net with slime.
man you can fill your freezer so fast..